Must Britain act on Hong Kong?

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China has breached the 1984 treaty that guarantees political and legal freedoms

THE People’s Republic of China is being accused by critics of slamming the brakes on democratic progress in Hong Kong and underminining its guaranteed “high degree of autonomy” including legal autonomy.

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has arrogated to itself the right to determine the pace of Hong Kong’s political development.But in doing so, Bill Rammell, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister, believes China has breached the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, a treaty registered with the United Nations.

First, the congress issued an “interpretation” of Hong Kong’s Constitution (the Basic Law) and Hong Kong would have to